The present invention relates to a trailer hitch and, more specifically, a fifth wheel trailer hitch that prevents vibration and other erratic motion from the trailer from transferring to the vehicle during travel.
Wheeled trailers are frequently towed behind vehicles to transport various items including boats, campers, horses, and other cargo. Many types of hitches have been developed to receive and tow a wheeled trailer.
A disadvantage of conventional trailer hitches is that uneven road surfaces cause vibration resulting in wear and damage to the trailer hitch. Additionally, the vibration and erratic motion from the trailer tends to transfer through the hitch to the vehicle, thereby affecting the vehicle's performance. This problem is only exaggerated when the trailer is empty or hauling a light load. When the trailer is unloaded, bumps in the road will cause the trailer to pitch and move in an erratic fashion, pulling the vehicle from side to side.
For fifth wheel trailers, no attempt has been made to solve this problem. Other trailers have been developed that include shock absorbers and other dampening devices for reducing the vibration and erratic motion of the trailer, particularly when the trailer is unloaded. One such example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,884 to Smith, which teaches a trailer having a shock absorber. The disadvantage with trailers such as the Smith apparatus is that a consumer must upgrade any conventional trailers to include the shock absorbers taught by Smith. This can be costly, particularly if the consumer has multiple trailers for towing different types of cargo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,560 to Van Vleet addresses the vibration problem by modifying the actual trailer hitch. In this manner, any trailer secured to the Van Vleet device will receive the cushioning effects of the Van Vleet device. The disadvantage with the Van Vleet device is that it requires the use of a complex ball hitch assembly, which is comprised of rigid steel parts. As such, the Van Vleet device provides very limited movement and shock dampening capabilities. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved trailer hitch.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a fifth wheel trailer hitch that absorbs shock and vibrations from a trailer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a trailer that improves the ride of the towing vehicle by preventing vibration from transferring through a fifth wheel trailer hitch to the vehicle.
A further object of this invention is to provide a trailer hitch with a torsion bar that absorbs vibration and other erratic forces from the trailer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to use a plurality of torsion bars in combination with a fifth wheel hitch in order to absorb vibration and erratic forces from a trailer.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.